When you decide to go online there are some ways you can avoid trouble in the first place, such as not visiting web sites that collect information about you and avoiding chat rooms. Of course you may wish to use the internet for chat so then you must not be naive about what you are doing.There is a kind of immediacy about communicating on the net and it can get very “up close and personal” in quite a short time. You can protect yourself from the darker element with a little savvy.
1. Don’t disclose your full name or address. If you must fill a profile use a made up name or nick. If the software will not allow leaving out your address just fill in obviously ficticious information.
2. Start up an Internet web based email such as Hotmail. Do not provide identifying information.
3. NEVER give out your credit card or banking information over the internet or in ANY email for ANY reason whatsoever. NEVER,NEVER
4. Don’t respond to any email that promises free gifts, money or any other hook. EVER! Microsoft, Pepsi, and other companies do not ever give away money via email or internet. There are rarely class action law suits that may benefit you. There has never been a Nigerian millitary leader who has died and left 42 million US dollars in a secret bank account or any others like him. These scammers are after YOUR bank details.
5. Did I say don’t give out bank details or credit card information?
6. There is rarely anything for free on the internet, just like in real life. Even FREE offers come at some cost whether future payments or advertising. I must add that there are a few companies and individual programmers who do provide free software for personal use. Check our links page.
7. Free software on the net will often install directed advertising on your computer and this can get very annoying. Just say no thanks when it is offered.
8. If you are on the net and you get a window up that says “do you want to install {whatever software}, the {whatever company name} corporation asserts the content to be safe.” when you visit a page on the net, always say NO!
9. Make sure you install an antivirus program. Grisoft AVG is fre for personal use.
10. If you can get some help, it would probably be wise to install a firewall program.
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Rob Tait has been involved with computers for a long time. The company he worked for was an early adopter of technology and Rob was keen to be involved. Eventually he was assisting the sysops with the day to day hardware maintainence of the mainframe and terminal system. He still recalls the enginering section fighting tooth and nail to get the first real desktop PC’s. The first commonly used PC’s were DEC and later clone XT’s with a whopping 10MHz turbo CPU. It all grew from there with daily ditherings that continued into a private business started in 1995. Its been a wild ride and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Rob now lives in Emu Park, a small seaside townnship not far from Yeppoon and Rockhampton. Located on the Queensland Keppel Bay it is a truly beautiful postcard scenerey place. Kind of like living in paradise all year. Currently Rob and Pam are attempting to be as green as possible. Solar grid connect and a new diesel powered car are their way to use less fossil fuel. Rob has dabbled with a veggie garden but so far its a pretty hopeless effort. He intends to get ready for another go soon when the cold weather eases off.Robs hobbies include photography and he has an embarrasingly huge collection of LED torches and lighting. Pam reckons a green energy shop should be next venture.This might happen when Pam packs up her chalk. 